Chapter 13: The Water Tribe Visit

Jetray flew closer towards the Southern Water Tribe. There was a drastic change in the temperature. Even though Jetray could survive the harsh coldness of space, he could still feel the cold. In the distance, he could see the village that belonged to Chief Hakoda. Luckily for him, it wasn't the winter time as he would have had difficulty finding it due to the snow storms. Instead the sun would shine none stop for months.

As he drew closer towards the village, he saw the members of the community, who were mostly women and children with a few men, performing their daily tasks. The Water Tribe seemed far more humble than their Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom counterparts. Which makes sense considering how much of a wasteland the Southern Poles were. Ben wondered if that was the case in the Northern Water Tribe up North.

A child saw him and alerted the rest of the members of his incoming presence. As Jetray landed, all the adults gathered around him while the children ran towards him, intrigued by the Aerophibian. They started playing with his wing membranes and tail. One of them even tried to climb on his back to grab his yellow horns. They didn't seem surprised about Jetray. Ben suspected that Chief Hakoda probably told the rest of the tribe about his aliens.

"Wow. He looks so cool!" One of the children beamed with enthusiasm.

"He looks like a stingray, but more awesome!" Another child added.

"Can you fly around the camp? Please?" The girl on his back pleaded.

"I dunno. Will your parents allow that?" Jetray inquired.

"As long as she is safe. After all, she probably wouldn't get another chance to do this." Her mother gave Jetray permission.

"Thanks mom." She expressed gratitude.

"You'll probably fall while you're on my back. Jump off so I can carry you with my feet. You'll be safer that way." Jetray instructed. She slide off his back, Jetray hovered and grabbed her by the shoulders with a grip that was neither tight or loose. "Alright. Hang on tight kid." Jetray told her.

Jetray jumped into the air, flying around in circles and doing hoops. The little girl was currently exhilarated and she wasn't the only one as the other kids were cheering while the adults were very awed by the Aerophibian's flying capabilities. He flew around for a few minutes until he decided to gently land the girl.

"That was so awesome! Thank you mister!" She hugged Jetray's arm.

"You're welcome." Jetray smiled.

"I want to fly!" One child said.

"Me too!" The next one said.

"Me next!" Another also added.

"I think he has enough flying." A voice said from behind the crowd, "Our guest is probably tired from flying all the way from the Fire Nation."

Jetray looked at where the voice came from and saw an adult male with very elegant clothing, which was called a parka. Ben assumed that this was Chief Hakoda as he had the atmosphere of a leader. The kids sighed in disappointment at Hakoda's words.

"Sorry kids, maybe we can do this later." Ben assured them and their frowns did drop a little bit knowing they would have a chance later.

Hakoda walked up towards Jetray and greeted him, "Hello Ben. It's so nice of you to visit the South Pole."

"Thanks for having me. I look forward to your hospitality." Jetray did a bow.

"Although Katara and Fire Lord Zuko didn't tell me you look like a red stingray." Hakoda teased him.

"Oh. I don't normally look like this." Jetray rubbed the back of his head. He tapped the Omnitrix symbol and transformed back into his human form. Ben immediately started shivering. His Fire Nation clothes definitely did not protect him from the coldness. Hakoda also noticed his discomfort.

"You must be freezing. We'll give you some Water Tribe parka for you to wear." Hakoda offered.

"Thanks." Ben said still shivering. They both started walking towards the hut.

"I know you've met my daughter before correct?" Hakoda asked and Ben nodded. Hakoda continued, "Which leaves you to meet my son Sokka. He's currently on a hunting trip with Katara and the other men. They'll arrive shortly."

"I've heard many great things about Sokka. Like how he helped Aang to defeat Ozai at the end of the Hundred Year War. I heard he's also an accomplished swordsman. You must be proud of him." Ben complimented.

"Sokka may appear like a goof but his tactical and physical prowess makes him a such great warrior. He was the one who protected the village while me and the other men were away in war. To see him grow from a young boy to a man brings me great joy. I'm happy to call him my son." Hakoda said with pride.

Ben smiled at Hadoka's words. His relationship with Sokka appears to mirror that of him and Grandpa Max. It was safe to say that he and Sokka would get along swell. Ben however wondered if Katara's view on him has changed. After all, what he had done in the weeks he had been in this world should make her soften up towards him. Ben of course knew he would find out soon enough.

Ben changed into the Water Tribe clothes he was given, which was much thicker and heavier than his regular clothing. They were much more suitable for this weather that's for sure. Ben did wish that these came in green. Blue was his least favorite color but he probably wouldn't say it aloud just encase his opinion was considered offensive.

Hakoda had told him that dinner would be ready in a few hours. After that, they would all gather around a big fire with the rest of the village. In the meantime, they would get acquainted to each other until Sokka and Katara return. One of the things Hakoda told Ben was about his mother, Kanna, and how she was currently living in the North Pole after marrying Pakku, the man she was first engaged to when she was younger. He also told Ben about their daily lives and routines and that even though it's mostly mundane, they were all happy with their way of life. Ben's talk with Hadoka had been very interesting.

About an hour later, Ben saw a few people coming from beyond the village boundaries. If Ben were to assume, it was likely the hunters Hakoda had mentioned earlier as they were carrying fish. Which meant Sokka and Katara had returned from their hunting expedition. Ben was easily able to distinguish Katara from the group. The one that caught his eye was the teenage boy, who was possible the same age as him. He looked like most of the people in the village, dark skin and blue eyes. However, his most prominent feature was his ponytail, a club on his back, and a boomerang he carried in his hands. He seemed to be bickering with Katara. Gwen was the closest Ben ever had to a sibling and they bickered a lot as kids. Katara was probably bickering with Sokka if he were to guess.

As they grew closer, he could hear what they were actually arguing about.

"The only reason you caught more fish than me is because of your magic water." Sokka said.

"It's not magic… nevermind. Besides, you just can't admit that I'm the better hunter." Katara said with pride.

"As if." Sokka scoffed.

Before Katara could retort, both siblings saw their father and Ben. They stopped arguing and went towards them. The other hunters left, giving the four of them privacy.

"We're back dad." Katara greeted Hakoda and turned to Ben, "Hello Ben."

"Hi Katara." Ben greeted back.

"So you're the famous Ben I keep hearing about?" Sokka inquired.

"The one and only." Ben replied.

"So I've heard you have a magic watch that turns you into some weird alien things?" Sokka asked.

Ben frowned, "Magic? No, it was created using science."

"Finally! Someone who doesn't have anything to do with magic." Sokka beamed, "You're alright Ben."

Katara would have pointed out that bending wasn't magic but she knew it was pointless with Sokka. Instead she rolled her eyes instead.

"Well I'm glad you find me alright." Ben smiled.

"Can you transform into one of those creatures? Katara told me your forms were very interesting, even though she only saw one." Sokka pleaded.

"Sokka, you can't force Ben to transform just for your entertainment." Katara shook her head.

"Don't worry Katara, I don't mind. Besides, it would be unfair for him if I didn't let him see one of my transformations." Ben assured.

"I won't lie, I'm pretty curious myself after I saw the stingray looking one." Hakoda confessed, "Jetray correct?"

Ben nodded as Katara sighed in defeat.

"Let's see," Ben activated the Omnitrix and cycled through his transformations. He found the alien he wanted and smacked the core, disappearing in a flash of green light. After the light disappeared, Ben was replaced with his Sonorosian transformation, "Echo Echo!"

While Hakoda and Katara were impressed with Ben's new transformation, Sokka looked disappointed. Echo Echo noticed the boy's expression.

"What?" Echo Echo questioned.

"That form doesn't even look very useful in battle. He looks pretty weak." Sokka said.

"Big and strong doesn't always mean better Sokka." Katara reminded him, "Otherwise the Fire Nation would've won the war. Besides, I remember Aang telling me about this alien after he and Ben fought those pirates. He's pretty useful."

"What can he even do? Cute the enemy to death?" Sokka scoffed.

In response, Echo Echo duplicated himself into seven individual clones. Sokka's mouth gaped. Katara had to walk over there to close his mouth. Sokka snapped out of his flabbergast and then got excited.

"He is awesome! He's has his own army! He's my favorite one!" Sokka yelled with enthusiasm.

"You haven't even seen his other aliens." Katara scoffed at him.

"I doubt the rest are as cool as this one." Sokka turned to Echo Echo, "Anything else he can do?"

"Sure. I suggest all of you close your ears." Echo Echo warned as he merged back into one.

Katara knew what he was referring to and closed her ears. Sokka and Hakoda looked at each other in confusion and did as they were told. Echo Echo stepped slightly away from them and then used his sonic scream to blow out a good portion of snow away. Katara and Hakoda were again impressed by his ability whereas Sokka was even more ecstatic.

"Even more awesome! He's definitely my favorite one! The name also sounds cool! I guess "Echo Echo" makes sense as a name for him." Sokka said as Echo Echo transformed back into Ben.

"At least Ben comes up with better names than you." Katara smirked.

"I come up with pretty good names." Sokka tried to defend himself.

"Space Sword is not a good name." Katara said.

Sokka hesitated a little, "Maybe, but what about Combustion Man? That caught on pretty quick!" Sokka reminded her.

"Probably because it's a better alternative to Sparky-Sparky-Boom Man." Katara smirked again.

"Do they always argue like this?" Ben whispered to Hadoka as the siblings continued to argue in the background. Hakoda nodded in response. Hakoda decided to step in.

"How about we go inside where it is warm? Leave the fish by the women. They can roast some of it to serve alongside dinner." He suggested.

They both nodded and began to head out to Hakoda's igloo with Ben.

The evening came, even though it was still light out. Everyone in the village sat with each other eating Water Tribe cuisine. Everyone enjoyed their meal which consists of smoked fish, sea prune stew, and seal jerky. Ben on the other hand didn't like the food, not that he would admit it aloud considering he was a guest. It wasn't as bad as his mom's cooking but it was pretty bland with little to no flavor. Then again, most spices would not be able to grow in the South Pole due to the climate. Ben would simply have to deal with it just to be polite. Sokka on the other hand was just gorging on the bland food, which wasn't a surprise to the rest of the village. Ben wasn't sure whether Sokka was just a regular human or secretly a Gourmand.

After dinner, the entire village was interested in the shapeshifter and his device. They would ask him tons of questions about him and the Omnitrix. One example was when a woman asked him whether he is in constant pain when he turns into an alien. Ben always thought the transformation sequences were a good stretch. One child asked him how he got the Omnitrix and Ben responded by telling them the story of the first day of his summer vacation. They all seem very interested in him except for Katara. She didn't really ask him any questions nor did she participate. She was still distance towards him and he wanted to know why.

After everyone had decided to disband so they could prepare to sleep, Ben on the other went to look for Katara. He found her pretty easily since the village wasn't that big. He approached and coughed. He gain her attention and looked at him. She had a neutral look on her face.

"Hey." Katara said.

"Hey." Ben replied. They stood around each other in awkward silence until Ben finally spoke up. "So I heard you're a master waterbender. That's pretty cool." Ben complimented.

"Thanks. It took me a while to get it." Katara said.

"Yeah. It also took me a while before I finally got a handle on the Omnitrix." Ben said while looking at the Omnitrix.

"I guess." Katara shrugged. They stood again in awkward silence again. This time however, it was Katara who broke the silence. "Zuko wrote to me that you're trying to rehabilitate Azula and trying to "save" her." Katara emphasized the word save.

Ben's eyes widen. He knew how Katara felt about Azula. He was told how Katara fought Azula several times throughout the war and barely escaped alive. The fact that she doesn't seem to like Ben also didn't help. That was a bad combination. Ben still had to stand his guard.

"I believe in forgiveness and second chances." Ben stated.

Katara scoffed, "I seriously doubt that you can change her. She's a sociopath who wanted to burn down the Earth Kingdom and rule the world with an iron fist. A person like that isn't capable of change neither should they be forgiven."

"There's no such thing as a purely evil person. Even though I've used the Omnitrix for good, I still have demons inside me. Everyone does, even Aang." Ben said.

"Don't you dare compare Aang with that witch!" Katara snapped.

Ben raised his hands, "Hey, that's not what I'm implying. I'm just saying that people are the way they based on their upbringing. Aang had people who loved and supported him, hence why he's the nice boy he is. Azula was raised in an environment that forced her to be the way she is and I doubt her father won dad of the year awards. Besides, there are worse people than her." Ben reasoned.

"You honestly believe that she even wants this? If Ty Lee's prior friendship with her couldn't mellow her out, what makes you think you can? It's better if you just leave her there to rot." Katara inquired.

"Sure. Leaving her in a safe guarded prison where she can't hurt anyone is the safest move, the logical move, and the sensible move." Ben said.

"But?"

"It's not the Ben move." Ben simply said. Katara looked at him with curiosity, "If possible, I give my enemies second chances and they live up to my expectations. My former enemy, now best friend, went through this process and he tried to kill me several times when we were kids. Besides, didn't Zuko reform and help Aang take down Ozai? Why should Azula be treated any differently from them?"

Katara listened to his words and saw that he had a few points. It was true that not everyone was purely good or evil. It was also true that people are capable of reform, like Zuko and his best friend. However, she couldn't bring herself to convince herself that Azula could be reformed.

"I know you're really invested in this but I doubt it would be possible with her. I saw her mind shatter in person. It could be possible but until that day happens, I just can't bring myself to believe in Azula. She's a lost cause as far as I'm concerned." Katara concluded.

This had greatly disappointed Ben. it was bad enough that Zuko, Ty Lee, and Suki often made fun of him for it, but the fact that Katara entirely dismissed his efforts slightly diminished his faith.

"You should get some rest. You're going to be joining us hunting tomorrow. Your aliens would be quite useful." Katara smiled at him and left to got into her igloo.

Ben sighed, "How swell."

Ben did not take Katara's advice into hand since he didn't feel sleepy. The sun was still shining and it would continue for months. He decided to explore more of the hunting grounds as a way to prepare for tomorrow. Ben did wonder how they would tell if it was tomorrow but assumed they just knew because they'd live here for all their lives.

Ben transformed into his Necrofriggian form and took flight.

Author's Note:

I will be taking a short break from this story after I finish this South Pole arc. I recently I started a new story called Cataclysm, which is a crossover between ATLA and Star Wars and I plan to create more chapters. Hopefully for my readers who are fans of both Star Wars and Last Airbender will enjoy this story.

I noticed that this story almost has 50 followers and favorites. Thank you guys so much for the support. I hope this story draws in more readers.

tomahawkESP: I have different plans for Sokka's new sword.

Till the next chapter!